Divers venturing into the ocean could swiftly capitalize on their existing knowledge of the underwater world.
Seals gliding effortlessly through the ocean’s depths, equipped with innovative digital tags that transmit real-time data on water conditions to scientists’ laboratories in a flash. Archaeologists monitoring a coastal site are instantly notified by robotic systems when an unauthorized diver intrudes upon a prized shipwreck.
The advancement of underwater technologies has led to a plethora of opportunities for monitoring and protecting the world’s oceans, fostering a healthier relationship between humans and marine ecosystems. While continuing to unravel the many lingering enigmas of the ocean.
New frontier
Vladimir Djapic, innovation associate on an EU-funded project, noted that “While significant funding has been allocated to corporate entities and organizations investigating space, we have yet to fully explore the oceans surrounding us.”
“We’ve yet to explore the vast ocean territories surrounding us.”
– Vladimir Djapic, TEUTA
Around 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered by oceans, with more than four-fifths of that vast expanse remaining unmapped, unexplored, and unseen by humans.
The Internet of Underwater Things (IoUT) is a network of interconnected sensors and devices that simplifies communication beneath the ocean’s surface by fostering a web of underwater issues. The concept diverges from the Internet of Things (IoT), encompassing everything from intelligent phones to devices allowing individuals to control home heating systems remotely.
The TEUTA project operated from October 2020 to March 2022. The collaboration helped a Croatian company to create and market lightweight, cost-effective acoustic devices and robotic platforms designed specifically for the development of underwater wireless networks.
According to Djapic, the CEO of Zagreb-based H20 Robotics, “Prior to the development of underwater community installations, we could only explore limited coastal areas.”
Advances in underwater applied sciences are poised to revolutionize numerous industries, including marine biology, environmental monitoring, construction, and geology.
Whale-like methods
Using cutting-edge technology, TEUTA has successfully replicated the sophisticated communication methods employed by whales and dolphins, effectively decoding their unique vocal patterns.
Unlike radio or optical signals, acoustic waves can traverse vast distances beneath the surface of the water, unaffected by the clarity or murkiness of their surroundings.
Marine-based sensor arrays, comprising instruments such as sensors, monitoring devices, and imaging technology, are strategically deployed at an underwater site, where they collect data and transmit it to a submerged buoy for further analysis. The buoy’s transmission successfully relays data wirelessly back to base via cloud-based connectivity, eliminating the need for cumbersome communication cables.
Improved text: One key area for improvement lies in enhancing communication channels between underwater operators and their terrestrial counterparts, as suggested by Djapic.
Accordingly, a diver operating within an underwater construction site can dispatch a message to their supervisor, requesting supplementary support or equipment as needed.
Improved underwater communication systems will enable seamless connections between land and sea, revolutionizing global connectivity in 2023.
By leveraging remote technology, scientists can remotely activate and monitor underwater sensors, such as those measuring water quality, from the comfort of their laboratories, enabling real-time data collection and analysis.
Archaeologists could leverage their expertise to protect vulnerable underwater sites by integrating intruder-detection technology into remote locations on behalf of their half.
The EU-funded TEUTA project will facilitate knowledge sharing between another EU-backed initiative by collaborating on enhancing documentation and safety measures for underwater cultural heritage at three pilot sites.
The Capo Rizzuto Marine Protected Area in southern Italy, the submerged ancient harbor of Aegina in Greece’s Saronic Gulf, and a shipwreck site within the Deseado estuary in Argentina are notable websites.
New frontiers in ocean exploration could potentially yield breakthroughs in underwater agriculture and mining, as envisioned by experts like Djapic.
For publicly traded companies and non-governmental organizations responsible for monitoring water quality, advancements in technology can potentially supplant the need for researchers to physically collect samples and transport them to laboratories.
While TEUTA has provided a boost to emerging underwater communication technologies, more efforts are needed to promote their adoption and ensure wider utilization, as stated by Djapic.
“All aspects must be thoroughly analyzed,” he stated firmly. “Our expertise enables precise monitoring of environmental conditions.”
Sensors and samplers
Italian researchers are developing an innovative approach to gathering ocean data by integrating sensors and samplers into existing observation platforms.
This could facilitate the accumulation of vast amounts of information useful for initiatives like those proposed in February 2022. Will the digital twin of the ocean, a real-time replica, seamlessly integrate historical and current data to provide unparalleled insights?
The EU-backed initiative seeks to pioneer a novel epoch in marine research, harnessing previously unavailable data to elucidate complex physical, chemical, and biological transformations within oceanic ecosystems.
“While they’re often overlooked, the world’s largest ecosystems are actually the biggest habitats on our planet.”
– Gabriele Pieri, NAUTILOS
With an operational span of four years as of September 2024, the project is steered by Gabriele Pieri, director of the Rome-based National Research Council.
According to Pieri, our proposal aimed to occupy a previously unaddressed space within the ocean’s commentary. Despite being the largest ecosystems on the planet, deep-sea environments often go unnoticed because of the logistical challenges and high costs associated with conducting research and monitoring them in situ.
Expertise in NAUTILOS is currently under scrutiny in the Baltic, Mediterranean, Aegean, and Adriatic seas.
Sensors can, for example, quantify ranges of chlorophyll-A and dissolved oxygen levels within the water. These key indicators of water quality serve as a proxy for the health of fish populations, providing crucial protection for their habitats.
Researchers employ sensors and samplers to collect data on the concentration of microplastics in water, thereby enhancing comprehension of the ocean’s vulnerability to human-induced air pollution.
Serving to flippers and fingers
Researchers at France’s Nationwide Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) have formed an unconventional alliance with one of their most unexpected collaborators yet – seals.
In the waters off Argentina’s Valdés Peninsula, researchers have been tracking sea creatures fitted with sensors that collect valuable insights into the animals’ behavior, habitat preferences, and population dynamics.
The NAUTILOS crew, comprising representatives from various analysis establishments and corporations, is developing over a dozen types of sensors and samplers. These technologies incorporate distant sensing techniques and microplastic detection systems.
The undertaking aims to demonstrate the seamless compatibility of its new instruments with existing and emerging platforms, effortlessly switching between them.
While the instruments themselves may be relatively affordable, their deployment timeline is short, and they seamlessly integrate with a variety of tools, offering numerous advantages. A sensor could be installed on an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), then deployed to a fixed buoy.
Citizen science plays a vital role within NAUTILOS, partnering with volunteers who drive campaigns focused on ocean plastics, such as organizing beach cleanups, while also collaborating with scuba-diving associations whose members serve as ambassadors for innovation, testing cutting-edge technologies and offering valuable feedback.
Developed in conjunction with the crew, a dedicated smartphone application enables divers to capture and share images of underwater species, allowing researchers to assess and monitor their findings.
Pieri noted that the curiosity surrounding citizen science had genuinely surprised him. Many individuals are willing to collaborate in efforts that promote the conservation and sustainability of the ocean’s long-term health.
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